French strike disrupts ports

MARSEILLE (REUTERS) — A 24-hour strike called by France's CGT union was blocking terminals at the country's main oil hub of Fos-Lavera near Marseille on Wednesday, a port spokeswoman said.

The strike was holding up nine vessels inside the port, including one cargo, one ore tanker, four refined products tankers, three container ships, and another five refined products tankers outside the port, she said.

This was the second one-day strike in a month at the Mediterranean port. The impact at other French ports, including the grain hub of Rouen, was limited.

"The impact is less important than during the previous strike day on Feb. 6, because many ships managed to finish their operations before the strike started," the spokeswoman told Reuters.

Wednesday's protests called by the CGT union were centered around grievances about a 2008 port reform and were not affecting the LyondellBasell petrochemical plant at the Fos-Lavera hub, the port spokeswoman added.